200 international festival will come together in Peralada and Girona
Hosted by the Festival Castell de Peralada, the Arts Festivals Summit 2023 of the European Festivals Association’s (EFA) will take place from 23 to 26 April in Peralada and Girona, Catalonia, Spain. The Summit marks the annual moment to bring together festival makers and stakeholders for an insightful 4-day conversation around festival making, the arts and their role in our societies. 200 delegates from 35 different countries confirmed their participation. You are welcome to join us throughout the Summit that takes place in Girona on 23, 25, and 26 April, and in Peralada on 24 April.
Let’s talk Business
The European Festivals Association’s (EFA) is Europe’s network of Arts Festivals. Since 1952, it brings together festival makers from all over the world to exchange, to work and collaborate transnationally, and to give arts and arts festivals a voice when it comes to the political dialogue at local, national and EU level.
The Arts Festivals Summit is EFA’s annual event for festival leaders. This year, the Summit takes place from 23 to 26 April in Peralada and Girona, hosted by the Festival Castell de Peralada. 200 delegates from 35 countries will come together to meet and work during this 4-day event that will also offer insights into the arts and cultural life of Girona, Peralada and Spain’s festival life. The programme includes a series of encounters, conversations, learning and networking moments between festival makers, cities and regions representatives, and people from the business sector.
Festivals represented include some of the biggest and oldest festivals in Europe such as Edinburgh International Festival, Schleswig-Holstein Musik Festival, Festival van Vlaanderen, BOZAR, Gdansk Shakespeare Festival, Music Biennale Zagreb, Varna Summer International Music Festival, Festival della Valle d'Itria, and many more.
Guided by the 70-Years-On Agenda and the societal causes that the agenda aims to address and support, EFA will offer a platform for dialogue to bring these different stakeholders to the table and to continue to build a strong alliance of and around the festivals.
Different crisis situations, such as the current war in Ukraine, fear and resentment in our societies or the skyrocketing prices of energy and raw materials, show how much solidarity, creativity, resilience, well-being, prosperity and vision are needed and how much these challenges are interconnected between different spheres from society.
Festivals are at the crossroads of several sectors: Next to cities and regions, we will invite in particular the business community into our conversations this year. The Arts Festivals Summit 2023 is the time to talk about our role and responsibility in today’s word.
“The Arts Festivals Summit in Peralada and Girona will be a great meeting in one of the most marvellous places in Europe, gathering many different actors among the festival community but also cities and business people.” says Jan Briers, President of the European Festivals Association.
"Together with the Peralada team, we are looking forward to share this moment with all of you and to welcome you at the Mediterranean iconic Costa Brava for the Arts Festivals Summit. Girona is a good example of how festivals can change people’s lives and how festivals can facilitate the transformative power of the arts. It is an interesting model for everyone to discover how festivals can move the meaning of a city and help to transform it.”, says Oriol Aguila, Director of the Festival Castell de Peralada.
Peralada and Girona
Together with our host, the Festival Castell de Peralada, we have developed a rich programme that includes various cultural and artistic activities in the beautiful and inspiring city of Peralada - the home of the festival - and Girona. Sant Jordi day, the opening evening during which we will listen to three fantastic artists - Jordi Savall, Rufus Wainwright, and Jorn Weisbrodt – concerts of Albert Guinovart and Cantoría, the obligatory visit to the Dalí Museum and much more are on the programme.